Week 9 Blog: Substance Use, Addiction/Impulse Control Disorder 

In this Blog, you will have the opportunity to teach your peers about a specific substance use and/or addiction/impulse control disorder. A Blog is a conversational, informal written piece on a topic. Your faculty will assign you a particular illness and the approved treatment for the illness to create a presentation to share with your peers.

Construct a Blog post, not to exceed 1,500–2,000 words, written for a PMHNP provider audience to post in the Discussion area.

Although you are not required to respond to colleagues, collegial discussion is welcome. Also, it will be important for you to read your peers’ Blog posts in order to learn about all of the medications on the assigned list.

You will be assigned from the following list:

• Opioid Use Disorder
  • Vivitrol
  • Suboxone
  • Methadone
  • Lofexidine
• Alcohol Use Disorder
  • Acamprosate
  • Naltrexone
  • Disulfiram
  • Phenobarbital (seizure control due to alcohol withdrawal)
  • Chlordiazepoxide
• Cannabis Use Disorder
  • Nefazodone*
  • Fluoxetine*
  • Gabapentin*
  • Buspirone*
• Stimulant Use Disorder (cocaine, methamphetamine)
  • Antipsychotic Medications*
  • Combination Injectable Naltrexone*
  • Bupropion*
  • Gabapentin*
• Tobacco Use Disorder
  • Nicotine replacement patch
  • Nicotine replacement gum
  • Nicotine replacement inhaler
  • Zyban
• Sedative/Hypnotic Anxiolytic Use Disorder
  • Gabapentin*
  • Buspirone*
  • Flumazenil*
  • Trazodone*
• Binge Eating Disorder (BED)
  • Lisdexamphetamine

*Indicates not FDA approved.

Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.
Click the weekly resources link to access the resources. 

Weekly Learing Resources

• Stahl, S. M. (2021). Stahl’s essential psychopharmacology: Neuroscientific basis and practical applications (5th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
  • Chapter 13, “Impulsivity, Compulsivity, and Addiction” (pp. 538—578)
• American Society of Addiction Medicine. (2023). Quality care: Clinical guidelines. https://www.asam.org/quality-care/clinical-guidelines
• Drugs.com. (2023). https://www.drugs.com/
• Note: Please use the following resource to check the most up-to-date box warnings, FDA approvals and indications, recommendations for follow-up evaluations, changes, etc.
• Medication Assisted Therapy for Substance Use Disorder
• Note: Utilize the following medication table to familiarize yourself with the medications aligned with the topics presented this week.

By Day 5 of Week 9

Post your Blog response by doing the following:

• Identify the substance or addiction with discussion on pertinent diagnostic criteria for the use disorder.
• Identify the street names of the substance for the use disorder.
• Describe how someone can use or abuse the substance (oral, smoke, IV, etc.).
• Describe the symptoms of someone under the influence of this substance.
• Describe the symptoms of someone under the withdrawal of this substance.

After describing the substance, discuss the treatment recommendations by doing the following:

• Identify the first-line treatment options.
• Identify the FDA-approved medications for the substance.

Note: If there are no FDA-approved medications, describe any evidenced-based, clinically acceptable off-label medications to treat the illness.

• Identify the proposed mechanisms of action for the medication to treat the illness.
• Describe the common side effects of the medication.
• Describe how the patient should take the medication.
• Identify any baseline and/or ongoing tests and assessment(s) needed when taking the medication.
• Describe the non-pharmacologic intervention recommendations.

This Assignment requires a minimum of three (3) peer-reviewed, evidence-based scholarly references outside of course Learning Resources.

Note: You will need to include the APA formatting citation of all references used with a Reference list.